In this photo essay,
however, you will see beautiful photographs of textile workers such as
Eva Goulet, Ethol Boutin, Consiglia DeParis, Natala Furnari, Josephine
Champy, and others. For reasons unknown to the exhibitor, all of
the work related photographs were taken in a spinning room, and all of
the subjects were women.

When Dr. Erdener asked
the owners of the photographs who had taken them, he found nobody remembered.
However, the quality of the photographs suggests that they were taken professionally.
They are all well focused and centered, and the women in them appear the
be well dressed. It is likely that the company hired a professional
to photograph its workers.

As Dr. Erdener searched
family albums for photographs on the topic of work, he found that some
images appeared over and over. In other words, certain themes were
becoming prominent. He began to view these themes as being central
to the lives of workers. For example, many immigrants new to Lawrence
spent their limited resources on photographs taken in professional studios.
These were usually sent to relatives in the Old Country.

Another important landmark
in the lives of many people was the purchase of their first automobile.
Interestingly, even after this acquisition, many workers continued to walk
to work or to take the Belt line. Cars, however, changed people's
lives by allowing them to leave the immediate work environment and travel
to other destinations for relaxation and recreation.

One of the most popular
destinations for Lawrence residents was Salisbury Beach. This held
true across all ethnic groups. One former textile worker reflected
upon the city's annual exodus to Salisbury Beach: "It never occurred to
us to go to other beaches." In the photograph exhibit, you will see
Salisbury Beach pictures in almost every family group.